Party Political Subscriptions from Councilor Allowances - Find a freedom of information request

Relating to the years 2019 - 2020 and 2020 - 2021, please can you provide responses to the following questions regarding the collecting of party political subscriptions from councilor's allowances?

1. Does the council collect from councilor's allowances, funds which are then passed to a political party/local group?

2. Please give the reason why the council is collecting from councilor's allowances, funds for a political party/group?

3. Please advise the annual amount collected and paid to each individually named political party/group?

4. Has NI and Tax been deducted before the funds are collected?

5. What is the cost to the council for making these deductions and arranging bank transfers or cheque payments?

6. What bank charges are incurred in transferring the fund or cheque payments?

1. At the request of some councillors we deduct some minor sums from their legitimate remuneration and put it into an account of their choosing. We are not involved in what that money is used for and do not believe that it is the council's role to decide how councillors spend their money.

2. See above response.

3. Please see below detail of the total deductions from councillors in terms of political groups at the county council for the two years in question.

2019/20

• Conservative £12,930.00
• Labour £3,535.08

2020/21

• Conservative £13,140.00
• Labour £3,275.28

4. Yes.

5. There are minimal transaction costs involved which can't be quantified.

6. This information is not available as the costs incurred are included within other costs paid by the Council.